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NASA Fails Critical Autonomous Rendezvous Test
Washington DC (SPX) Apr 16, 2005 The Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft that was successfully launched Friday at 10:25 a.m. PDT from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., experienced an on orbit anomaly late Friday. After a successful rendezvous, acquisition of the target spacecraft, and approach to within approximately 300 feet, DART placed itself in the retirement phase before completing all planned proximity operations, ending the mission prematurely. NASA is convening a mishap investigation board to determine the reason for the DART spacecraft anomaly. A teleconference with DART project managers was scheduled for 11 a.m. PDT. The DART spacecraft was a flight experiment attempting to establish autonomous rendezvous capabilities for the U.S. space program. While previous rendezvous and docking efforts have been piloted by astronauts, the DART spacecraft completed the rendezvous and acquisition with no human intervention, relying on a variety of sensors and analyses to complete these functions.
Updates DART, short for Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology, was launched Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California with a boost from a Pegasus rocket but suffered a glitch in orbit that forced NASA to scrap the mission. DART is designed to find another spacecraft in space, rendezvous and dock, without human guidance. The space agency wants to test the craft as a cost-cutting measure in President George W. Bush's initiative to return humans to the moon and pursue manned exploration of Mars. "After a successful rendezvous, acquisition of the target spacecraft and approach to within approximately 300 feet (91 meters), DART placed itself in the retirement phase before completing all planned proximity operations, ending the mission prematurely," NASA said in a statement Saturday. NASA said it was "convening a mishap investigation board to determine the reason for the DART spacecraft anomaly." Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express All about the robots on Earth and beyond!
Engineers Deliver Robot to Neutralize Remote Explosives
Tyndall AFB (SPX) Jun 30, 2005Engineers from the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate have rapidly prototyped, developed, and delivered low-cost expendable robots to disable and dispose of improvised explosive devices. |
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